Self-opening can



(No Model.)

E. NORTON su B.- H. LA-RKIN.

Fal

SELF OPENING OAN. Y

Patented June 18', 1895.

t UNtTED STATES PATENT OFFICE@ EDWIN NORTON, OF MAYIVOOD, AND BERNARD II. LARKIN, OF CHICAGO, AASSIGNORS TO SAID EDWIN NORTON, AND OLIVER IV. NORTON, OF'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SELF-OPENING CAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters VPatent No. 541,248, dated June 18, 1895.

Application iiled January 19, 1894. Serial No.497,361. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWIN NORTON, residing at Maywood, and BERNARD H. LARKIN, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Opening Cans, ot' which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to self-opening sheetmetal cans, and more particularly to selfopening, or key-opening cans, or cans having a cover which is seamed on by a double seam or other folded seam, after the can is lIed.

I-Ieretofore in construction of-paint cans, or cans having a cover designed to be seamed on after the can is filled, it has been customary to provide an interior shoulder on the can body to form a seat or support forthe cover and to resist the pressure of the seaming tool in the act ot' seaning the cover on the can after it is iilled. This inwardly projecting shoulder offers an obstruction to the clean removal of the contents of the can after the same has been opened, and it is for this and other reasons objectionable especially where the can is lled with expensive paints, such as the high priced colors ground in oil. The tightness with which the cover may be secured on the can by a simple folded seam without the use of solder also of course depends directly upon the strength or rmness of the inwardly projecting shoulder which supports the cover against the thrust of the seaming tool. In cans for paints or other analogous purposes it is also very desirable, and indeed in fact necessary, that after the can is opened it shouldvstill have a slip cover for closing the same to protect the contents from dust and exposure. It is also desirable that the act of opening the canshould not diminish -its capacity, as otherwise a portion of the material is liable to be spilled or wasted; and a further requirement is that the act of opening the can should not leave it with a rough upper edge, especially where it is desired to wipe the brush on the upper edge of the can, or to use the can as a paint pot.

The object of our invention is to provide a self or key opening can suitable for use as a paint can, which will be of a strong, simple and eticieut construction, which will have an exceedingly strong and firm seat or support for the cover in the act of double seaming or otherwise securing it on the can without the use of solder after it is tilled, and which at the same time after the can is opened will have no internal projection or other obstruction, which will leave the can of full capacity and a smooth upper edge after it is opened, and which will also have a tearing strip for opening the can, and wherein the weakened line or lines of the tearing strip will not be subjected to any pressure or strain in the act of double seaming the cover on the can.

Our invention consists in the novel devices and novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described by which the above results are accomplished; that is to say,

it consists, primarily, in the combination with a can body of a seaming ring soldered or otherwise secured at its lower edge to the can body at the upper portion thereof, provided with an internally projecting shouldertting or resting on the upper edge of the can body and forming a seat or support for the can cover, the upper edge of this seaming ring being adapted to be secured by a double or other folded seam with the can cover Without the use of solder after the can is filled, and this seaming ring being furnished with a tearing strip separated or marked ott therefrom by one or more weakened lines, the seaming ring thereof above the tearing strip and which is not soldered to the can body'will, in connec' tion with the cover, which is double seamed thereto, form a slip cover for closing the can after it has once been opened. By this means it will he observed that an extremely firm and strong seat or support for the cover is provided,inasmuch as the internally projecting fold or shoulder on the seaming ring is strengthened and supported directly by the upright upper edge of the ,can body on which it rests; and when the can is opened by removing the tearing strip in the usual way by a key or other device, the internally project ing shoulder comes away with the cover to which the seaming ring is now secured or double seamed, thus leaving the can with a ICO free and smooth interior without any internal projection or shoulder. The can also when thus opened remains at its full height or capacity, and with a smooth upper edge suitable for wiping the brush upon, the can being,r in no way mutilated or injured in the act of opening the same; and the cylindrical por-l tion of the seaming ring above the tearing strip constitutes the flange of the slip cover for closing the can after it has been opened. It will also be observed that as the internally projecting fold or shoulder on the seaming ring fits down upon the upper edge of the can body, the weakened line ot' the tearing strip below this shoulder, as well as the soldered joint below', receives no strain or pressure from the seaming tool in the act of seaming the cover to the upper edge of the seaming ring.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specitication, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a side elevation of a can embody-Y ing our invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional View, the thickness of the tin being much exaggerated in order to show the construction more clearly. Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the can before the cover is B, the can cover; C, the bottom head of the can, and D the seaming ring.

The can body A and bottom C may be of any desired or suitable construction, though we prefer to employ an internal fitting head, having a flange c secured to the lower edge of the can body by a clinched, compressed or folded seam Ct c', substantially as indicated in l ing ring being adapted to be folded with the the drawings.

The can body A is vpreferably furnished with a bead ct near its top, the same being about the width of the seaming band D from the upper edge of the can body.

The seaming band D is furnished with'a `tearing strip d separated or marked off by one or more weakened lines or scores d. The seaming band D is further provided with an internally projecting shoulder cl2, the same being preferably formed by making an internal fold in the seaming band or ring, as is clearly indicated in the drawings, thus making the shoulder integral with the seaming ring or band. The upper edge dof the seaming ring D is folded or rolled inwardly with the upwardly projecting flange b of the cover B to` form a double seam. The seaming ring D is preferably seamless, being stamped up out of a single disk of sheet metal. The tearing strip d is furnished with a projecting lip or tongue d4, the same being inserted in a transverse slit d5 formed across the tearing strip, and then soldered thereto. The seaming ring or band D or the tearing strip portion thereof is soldered at its lowor'edge to the can body A, the soldered joint being indrical portion d6 of theseaming ring above the tearing strip will be entirely free from the can body and thus enable thetseaming band and the cover double seamed or 'otherwise secured thereto, to be slipped off after the tearing strip d has been removed; and this also leaves the cylindrical portion (Z6 of the seaming ring to form, in connection with the cover B, a slip cover for closing the can after it has been opened. Y

The upper edge a2 of the can body A is preferably furnished with an inward roll or fold t4 to give the mouth ofthe can a smoother edge and better surface for wiping the paint brush.

'Some of the advantages of ou'r invention maybe secured it' the inward shoulder on the seaming ring is omitted and the cover bes'updicated at a2 and the solder not extending above the tearing strip d, so that the cyln-V ported directly on orby the top of the can a body itself.

The tearing strip portion cl of the seaming ring D is preferably made integral or in the saine piece with the seaming ring and simply separated or marked oft' therefrom by one or more weakened lines so as to enable it to be separated from the can to open it.

W'e claim- 1.- The combination with a can body of a. seaming ring soldered or secured at its lower edge to the upper portion of the can body, and provided with a key opening tonvued tearing strip marked off by a weakened ine, said seaming ring having also an internal shoulder or support to form a seat for the cover, said shoulder resting upon the upper edge of the can body and braced and strengthened thereby, the upper edge of said seamtlange of the cover into a seam, substantially as specified. j

2. The combination with the can body and a flanged cover, of a seaming ring uniting the can body and cover and provided with a key opening tongued tearing strip marked oft by a weakened line for opening the can, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the can body and a cover, of a seaming ring uniting the body and cover and provided with a key opening tongued tearing strip for opening the can, said seaming. ring having a portion above the tearing strip unsecured to the body constituting in connection with the'cover, when the can is opened, a slip cover, substantially as speci-- having a flange adapted to be folded with the upper edge of the seaming ring into a seam,

ICO

said seaming ring being provided with a key opening tongued tearing strip marked oi by a weakened line, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a can body of a seaining ring secured at its lower edge to lche body, and provided with an internal shoulder resting upon the upper edge of the body to forni a seat for the can cover, the can cover having a iiange adapted to be folded with the upper edge of the searning ring into a seam, said scanning. ring being provided with a key opening tongued tearing strip, marked off by a weakened line, and said seaming ring having a cylindrical portion above said tearing strip constituting with the cover a flanged slip cover, substantially as specified.

G. The combination with a can body furnished with an inwardly folded or rolled upper edge to form a smooth mouth for the can, of `a Seaniing ring united at its lower edge to the upper portion of the body and provided with a key opening tongued tearing strip marked off by a weakened line and having an internally projecting shoulder or fold to forrn a seat for the cover, the sanne resting on the upper edge of the body, and a cover having a ange folded or adapted to be folded with the upper edge of the seaining ring into a seam, said searning ring having a cylindrical portion above said tearing strip to constitute the flange of a slip cover after the can is opened, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a can body furnished with an inwardly folded or rolled upper edge to form asmooth mouth for the can, of a seaniing ring united at its lower edge to the upper portion of the body and provided with a key opening tongued tearing strip marked oif by, a weakened line, and a cover having a flange folded or adapted to be folded with the upper edge of the seaming ring into a seam, said seaming ring having a cylindrical portion above said tearing strip to consti- `tute the flange of a slip cover after the can is opened, substantially as specified.

EDWIN NORTON.

. BERNARD H. LARKIN.

Witnesses:

A. L. FANNING, W. L. GIFFORD. 

